Danny Weber
The European Commission has ordered Alphabet to give rival AI services access to 11 Android functions and set rules for sharing anonymized Google Search data.
The European Union is stepping up pressure on Google under the Digital Markets Act. According to Reuters, the European Commission has ordered Alphabet to open some services and system capabilities to competitors.
The decision covers 11 Android functions that third-party developers must be able to access while meeting security and privacy requirements. This should let AI services competing with Gemini integrate their assistants more deeply into the operating system and perform tasks currently tied closely to Google services.
In time, users will be able to launch not only Gemini or Google Assistant, but also AI assistants from other companies. These assistants could interact with apps, help book a taxi, find places and handle other actions inside Android. Most of the changes must arrive in Android 18 by August 1, 2027. Simultaneous voice activation of several assistants with commands similar to “Hey Google” is due in Android 19 by August 1, 2028.
A separate requirement concerns search data. Google will have to share data it uses to improve Google Search with eligible third-party search engines and AI chatbots that include search, but only after anonymization. Google may first assess cybersecurity and data-protection risks. By January 2027, the company must finalize the access terms and pricing formula.
Google has criticized the European Commission’s decision. Kent Walker, president of global affairs at Google and Alphabet, said the measures could weaken privacy and security protections for millions of European users. The Commission argues that the rules will create more alternatives to Google Search and Gemini and give people in the EU a wider choice of services.
© B. Naumkin